At midnight I turned on the bathroom sink to brush my teeth. This is the same sink that started leaking two weeks ago and I replaced the valves on both sides; ever since, its flow rate has been terrible, which I attributed to new, lower-flow valves. Well, it was particularly terrible. I think I've seen large dogs slobber at a higher flow rate than it was flowing. I'd turned on only the hot tap, and thought maybe if I turned on the cold tap it'd flow a bit more.
It didn't increase the flow volume at all.
A light bulb went on over my head: if 1+1 !> 1, it's not the valves that are the problem.
I pulled out my trusty leatherman do-everything multitool that![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
threemeninaboat gave me years ago, deployed the pliers configuration, and wrenched the aerator loose, unscrewed it, and took it all apart. It was completely jammed with slightly tacky black material, so I spent a while with a dental pick, poking it out of the screen and the diffuser. I'm pretty sure that's the remains of the insides of the o-rings that sealed the old valves.
Now the sink runs at a higher flow volume than the drain can handle, which is progress of some sort.
It didn't increase the flow volume at all.
A light bulb went on over my head: if 1+1 !> 1, it's not the valves that are the problem.
I pulled out my trusty leatherman do-everything multitool that
threemeninaboat gave me years ago, deployed the pliers configuration, and wrenched the aerator loose, unscrewed it, and took it all apart. It was completely jammed with slightly tacky black material, so I spent a while with a dental pick, poking it out of the screen and the diffuser. I'm pretty sure that's the remains of the insides of the o-rings that sealed the old valves.Now the sink runs at a higher flow volume than the drain can handle, which is progress of some sort.
